


Burning Flesh

by Nakaron



Category: Ao no Exorcist | Blue Exorcist
Genre: Don't play with fire kids, Explicit Language, Gen, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-25
Updated: 2018-08-07
Packaged: 2019-05-28 07:48:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15044147
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nakaron/pseuds/Nakaron
Summary: Unsurprisingly, Rin has plenty of bad habits: never on time, never paid attention, never stopped to think, never took matters seriously.He probably looked careless, but deep down he really did care. He cared about the world, the world who hated him just for existing but he still cared. He’d love to lose all his bad habits, his ugly flaws and mistakes, and his damned heritage. He’d love to be the opposite of what everyone saw him: a dangerous demon weapon for the Vatican.But out of all the bad habits he has, this one...this one, he wouldn’t bother to stop.





	1. It was just an idea

Bad habits were like roaches that won’t die easily, an ugly stain that won’t go away. 

Unsurprisingly, Rin had plenty of those; never on time, never paid attention, never stopped to think, never took matters seriously. He probably looked careless, but deep down he really did care. Actually, he was insecure and wore his heart on his sleeve. He cared about the world, the world who hated him just for existing but fuck that he still cared. Mostly everyone seemed to hate him, so he would love to lose all of his bad habits, his ugly flaws and mistakes, and his damned heritage. He constantly yearned to be the opposite of what everyone saw him: a dangerous demon weapon for the Vatican. 

But this one bad habit. This one, he wouldn’t bother to stop. 

He had done some horrible mistakes in his life, but he wouldn’t count this one as bad. He was helping others...

And he was sure his old man wouldn’t mind. Supposedly this was a cool thing, a very cool thing that only Rin could do. His old man once told him, _“I want you to become a cool guy with lots of friends who's loved by girls!”_ And damn, he was going to take that advice to heart.

That fateful day was a stomp on the fragile line of patience. People were wary of him and the Vatican tolerated him at the barest minimum, but he always managed to get away. Despite the chances of losing his very life that day, Rin surely didn’t regret it because he assumed everything would work out in the end.

The mission was to locate and apprehend a group of demon sorcerers that escaped the Vatican dungeons. They were supposed to be executed today because they held the threat of opening a secret passageway for demons to enter into Assiah. When they escaped, a small group of high-ranked exorcists was assigned to take care of the job. Simple as that, but the thing was, they were too slow to catch the group.

The mission wasn’t tasked to Rin, but to his younger four-eyed, mole-faced Yukio instead. Rin could tease and mock his brother all he wanted, but it couldn’t hide the fact that his little brother was much better than him. 

He didn’t like how Yukio was the one entrusted, so he stepped ahead of his brother and took care of the group. When he caught up to them, they immediately summoned demons with such strength that Rin had to resort to his flames. It took a while, but he managed to burn them effortlessly to the ground. When the assigned exorcists finally arrived, it was no surprise that they were suddenly ordered to detain Rin. It was all thanks to Shura and Yukio that saved his ass.

Hey, in his defense, those prisoners were going to be executed today anyway! So the use of his flames was reasonable enough to keep him out of a trial or any jail time—nonetheless, many of the exorcists and the Vatican continued to despise him. 

Still, Rin didn't let that bother him. He was more intrigued, really. Not because the mission was done solely by him, or aggravating exorcists, or miraculously staying out of trouble once again. 

It was the way those blue flames danced across their skins.

Rin didn’t admit it out loud, but there was something within him that pulsed out in pleasure as he watched those bodies collapse to the ground around him in royal blue flames. The prisoners were crying out, writhing, shrieking under the wrath of his power. The flames that surrounded Rin had burned brighter, syncing in with his amusement. Like, was he actually enjoying this? The teen hadn’t realized he was grinning until the exorcists arrived at the scene. The bodies were properly disposed of and everything was dealt with.

After that day, Rin discovered that this was the first time he had burned people with his flames.

But was he feeling bad about it? Well, no.

...No?

He was sure his old man had to have killed some people. He was a priest, but he had a dangerous line of work. Demons lurked around in society’s shadows; civilians get involved, innocents get killed, and the Vatican always swept up the mess.

The mission bothered Rin to an extent, but he had done it for a good cause. He killed some people for the first time ever, big deal, so  _why couldn’t he stop thinking about it?_  

As he lied down on his bed with his hands raised above him, he stared at his palms, white and pale under the moonlight, and remembered when they used to be bruised all the time. He kind of missed getting into fights; it made him feel good stopping those who were doing their _bad habits_. Now that he was a half-demon, he couldn’t possibly get away with a simple scuffle easily. It was already a hassle trying to keep his head every day.

But...he could ignite a small flame and let it dance across his arm, and it wouldn’t leave even a scratch. Sometimes it was strange to let the fact sink in; that he was able to summon fire he could truly call his own. But it was also a strange feeling, to remember the pain that fire can cause back when he was still human. He had never tried hurling himself into a pit of ordinary fire, but since he was immune to his own flames, it was an idea he entertained. Maybe his immunity works on ordinary fires too?

Rin barked out a laugh, and he didn't care how loud it was. Yukio wouldn't be back until past midnight due to a mission, anyway. Didn't people call those thoughts ‘intrusive thoughts?' Well, the idea wasn't completely far-fetched, but Rin wouldn’t throw himself into a pit fire. He wasn't as stupid as Yukio always claimed he was.

Maybe he could throw not himself, but _someone else._

 

* * *

 

He did it.

As he watched the man in front of him struggle to put out his flames, Rin frowned and asked himself what the hell he was doing.

And why wasn’t he feeling as bad as he should be? What the hell was wrong with him?

First of all, the man was a wanted robber and the police were still looking for him. Since Rin grew up in a monastery, he was well aware of what was bad and good, so wouldn't this count as good? He was doing a favor to the police, anyway. He wasn't going to reduce the body into ashes, he’d just leave it on the ground for the police to pick up. They wouldn’t have to look for him anymore, because Rin caught the robber for them!

Smiling at his inference, Rin flared his flames brighter and listened to the man’s dying screams. A pained cry broke out, clearer than the rest, “I-I just needed the money for my child!”

The teen blinked, surprised the man was still alive in his condition. “Are you kidding me? There are a lot of other ways to get the damn money, you thief!” He leaned back and chuckled light-heartedly, “Oh well, you’ll have to pay eventually.”

The man continued to scream and beg, asking for mercy, but Rin ignored him and watched the show at a safe distance. He let the blue fire dance, and it flickered across his eyes in a captivating beauty. It wasn’t long before the body crumpled to the ground, his body scorched to the point it was almost unidentifiable. The blue fire around them instantly died when he sheathed his sword, and the dark shadows that surrounded Rin remained. The dark alley he stood on suddenly felt colder, and Rin found himself missing his flames.

An eerie silence followed as the teen reluctantly knelt down next to the corpse, inspecting the charred skin. His lips quivered at the horrified expression permanently seared on his face.

Rin took a deep breath, only to smell the rotten stench of burning flesh, and he gagged. With tears in his eyes, he stood up to walk away. He hesitantly looked back twice, hoping he'd never see the carcass again.

What the hell did he just do?!

 

* * *

 

He got home in labored breaths, and he probably looked like he was running away from something. Kuro glanced at him but said nothing. Rin gave a nervous greeting and tried to get his mind off by cooking, but it got worse when he turned on the stove and the fire grimly reminded him of his victim's bitter end. The smell of cooking beef reminded him of the smell of burning corpses, and he shook his head in distress. It smelled utterly  _awful_. In fact, he could still smell it. 

Wait a minute,  _it must be on him!_

Rin suddenly dropped the stirring spoon and turned off the stove. He ran into the bathroom and haphazardly ripped all his clothes off while trying not to break down. He quickly jumped in and twisted the shower knob to freezing cold water. He needed to calm down; maybe the cold water could slap him to his senses. He scrubbed his skin raw and made sure the smell of burning flesh was gone. The calming citrus scent of his shampoo eventually swamped his senses and Rin gave out a cry of relief.

Once he felt safe to step outside of the bathroom, he prepared a nice dinner and slowly ate his portion. He kept the leftovers in the fridge for Yukio to pull out when he got home. He changed into his pajamas and met up with Kuro in the bedroom. They chatted for a bit, but Rin made sure not to say anything about burning a live person. Kuro didn't look suspicious, and he meowed Rin a good night as they both got into their beds.

Still, Rin couldn't sleep. What was he thinking, deciding to burn someone to death with his flames?

At least he got it all out. The smell was gone, the police got their robber, and Kuro didn't even suspect anything. He didn't leave anything to note back there, so nobody should suspect it was him, right?

He hated it, but deep down Rin knew he’ll soon come to love the scent.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize if Rin is a little OOC, but his character is so easy to attack...
> 
> I also apologize for any errors. I'll try to go back and fix any if I got some time.


	2. It was just one time

He was going to try it again. He was completely torn; he _swore_ he was not going to do it, but his curiosity got the better of him.

The week after the incident, nothing much happened. Rin was still doing poorly in his classes and his classmates were still doing better than him. He didn't have that many friends, but he was surprisingly fond of arguing and bickering with those in his brother's class. Bon was a short-tempered hothead while Shima was a sheepish little shit, and Koneko was always trying to play peacemaker even though Rin and Bon were too busy glaring holes in each other's heads. Izumo still kept being a bitch and his trainer Shura was the worst of them all, but Shiemi, _oh god_   _Shiemi_ , she was still such a sweetheart. 

The daily routine was casual (almost  _boring_ _)_  and Rin didn't know what to make of it, especially after the incident. Nobody knew what happened, thankfully, so he took it as an opportunity to sweep it under the rug and move on. He forced himself not to think about it, but the fire within him suddenly felt increasingly uncomfortable.

One night Yukio had to attend an overnight mission and once he left after a quick goodbye, Rin found himself with an opening that he decided, after much debate with himself, to take. Stealthily, he passed by Kuro and snuck out of the dormitory with no plan formulated in his mind. To be honest, Rin didn't even know what he was doing, or why he didn't stop.

Yukio was constantly breathing down his back, and Rin sometimes didn't like it because he wouldn't get to roam around the city as freely as before. Still, he made sure not to attract attention by wearing a dark hoodie and dark pants with dirty white sneakers. When he spotted an ice cream parlor, Rin decided to get a french vanilla fudge and he licked at it in good spirits as he continued walking down the crowded sidewalks. After he passed by an intersection and turned down several corners, he soon found himself walking on the darker, less populated streets. He wasn't sure what he was doing here. Should he turn and head home? What if Yukio was home already?

Rin slightly scowled; even if Yukio wasn't here, his brother somehow nagged at him to stop doing whatever he was doing and go home. Still, he chose to ignore the thought and began exploring.

Beyond him were dark buildings with walls graffitied with vulgar symbols and signs and garbage scattered nastily on the sidewalks. Most of the light posts worked okay and brought Rin a little at ease with being able to see in the dark. The air was thick with smoke and Rin covered his nose with his sleeve as his heightened scent picked up a smell somewhere in front of him. 

As he ventured closer to the broken fence that surrounded an old playground, Rin focused on a group of teenagers huddled by the slides. He halted once he stepped foot into the dry grass and squinted to try and see what they were doing over there. The smell was apparently coming from there.

Something told Rin he was making a grave mistake and he almost believed it, but something else forced him to walk along the grass until one of the boys noticed his presence.

"Yo, look who's here!"

Their half-lidded glares were enough to push Rin into uneasiness, and he slowly faltered in his steps then speeded up. What the hell, now he was starting to regret this.

Several of them stood up from their huddled spot and faced Rin with a wariness that only grew into maliciousness. Rin walked faster, and much to his dismay, they followed. He didn't get to leave the park because one of them had thought it was a good idea to grab Rin's hoodie and pull him in, and Rin gritted his teeth as he was roughly faced with who he'd assumed was the leader of the group. Snickers sounded around him and Rin instantly felt the urge to beat them up but chose to silently glare at the ground.

He was dragged towards the center to the park and he felt someone spit at his head, but he stubbornly kept his gaze on the dry grass. A warm breath tickled his forehead and Rin glanced up to meet eyes with a boy several years older than him. His dark eyes with a sinister glint as he frowned at Rin.

"Well?" His voice reeked of alcohol, and Rin recoiled in disgust, but the leader only leaned in closer. "What's a little pipsqueak like you doin' around in these parts?"

"It's none of your business," Rin mumbled lowly. "Let me go."

"Hey, now, you were the one who walked up to us." The leader shoved Rin back, and another of his friends hooked around his arms and Rin was suddenly trapped and surrounded by them. "We know this area, and you're a stranger here. We have the right to know what business you're up to around here."

Rin couldn't answer it because he truly didn't know.  _Why_ was he exactly here? Just what on earth was he thinking?

He felt a hand reach up to his cheek and Rin was shoved down into the grass face first. A sudden kick landed on his stomach but Rin didn't cry out, instead, he glared up to see someone about ready to punch him and the next thing he knew, he dodged away and landed a punch on someone's nose and blood was shed. Adrenaline surged through him in a wave of lightning and Rin screamed loudly as he brawled with the rest of the group. Sure enough, they took up the challenge and suddenly Rin was pinned down because there was just too many of them.

What was he doing, what was he doing, what was he doing—

The question repeated in his mind as Rin kept throwing out punches, not caring whether or not if they were still alive. They couldn't get him down and they couldn't shut him up because Rin was still screaming at the top of his lungs. His thoughts were scattered and he couldn't think straight as he went on autopilot, wrecking anyone who still tried to get a punch on him. Rin barely registered when he threw the leader of the band a few feet away from him and he yelled at everyone to back up and get away. Rin wanted to stop and get away too, but he couldn't quell the fire inside him. It was burning him inside out and Rin couldn't contain it any longer when he watched in complete rage as the others began to flee.

 _"You're_ _not getting away from me!"_

His vision had gone red, but it quickly turned blue. Everything was a familiar, calm blue for a lingering moment, then it washed away before his eyes. Before Rin knew it, everything grew dark, and the world was spinning when he came to.

He was standing on the ashy ground. There was a ring of blackness that surrounded him and something more, but Rin didn't look down any further to see what was there. The smell of burning flesh was strong in the air and it was enough for the half-demon to realize what he had done.

He did it again.

Tears gathered at the corners of his eyes, but Rin refused to let them fall. Instead, he walked past the scorched area and went over to their hangout spot. There were several backpacks and a baseball bat, but Rin noticed the cigarettes and the plastic bags full of some white powder right in the middle and finally knew what the smell was.

_Disgusting._

 

* * *

 

Unlike the first time, Rin felt like he had to get rid of the bodies. He decided to dump them all in a nearby garbage bin and burn them until they were all into ashes, then transferred them into the backpacks he found and threw them away at some large dumpster somewhere. This way, the ashes were easier to dispose of, right? And Rin had the capacity of burning a human body into nothing, though he was unbelievably exhausted after.

When he got home he was surprised Yukio wasn't home yet. He was more surprised when he saw Kuro up and awake, and this time, he stared at Rin in concern.

_Where have you been?"_

Shit, he still might smell. He averted his gaze from the demon cat and stiffly went straight into the bathroom, hoping to god that Kuro didn't notice. He began removing his clothes as he yelled, "I, uh, just went out for a walk, that's all!"

The cat meowed just behind the door, _"I don't believe you!"_

"Okay fine, I wanted to go bother Four-Eyes, but I couldn't find where he is!" The lie slipped through easily since Rin tended to accompany his brother on his missions, most of the time without permission. "I was going to stay home but couldn't sleep, so I decided to go help him out!"

Kuro meowed something in response but by then, Rin had turned on the shower and started singing at the top of his lungs. He really didn't want to worry Kuro, but Rin wondered why he was keeping this a secret. Was he worried more about himself?

A smell of citrus overcame him, and Rin sighed in content when he felt clean and washed. When he finally got out of the shower, Kuro was looking at him nonplussed as if he knew what was up. The anxiety was gnawing at him and Rin badly wanted to go hide under his blankets, but he chose to laugh at the cat cheekily. "Hey...why are you looking at me like that?"

 _"I woke up and saw you weren't here, and I thought you had left me,"_  Kuro spoke quietly. " _Take me with you next time, please?_ _"_

Rin noticed the hesitation in his tone but said nothing of it. "Sorry, Kuro. We'll both bother Yukio when he gets home."

If Kuro did notice, then Rin was beyond glad that Yukio wouldn't be able to understand Kuro.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I apologize for aannnyyyyy errorrsssss...English is not really my strong suit.


	3. It was not his fault...

Rin had found himself wandering in the city once more, eager to just get some fresh air. His fingers constantly twitched and his wide eyes darted to every face he passed by. He was probably walking strangely and reeked like death. People stared at him either in confusion or pertubation as they kept their distance. Of course, this is what Rin should want because he didn't feel safe at all near people, but the fire inside him just wouldn't quell.  
  
Then came these children. And by the heavens, he should've happily obliged to whatever game they were playing, but Rin was surprised when he realized he was dragging a girl by the hair to an obscure alleyway. The other kids had lost sight of them when they ran around a corner.  
  
"Help me! Help—" He had tossed her into a dumpster, then ignited the insides on fire.  
  
She was only ten.  
  
He didn't come to class the next day; the other classmates were instantly worried and went to visit, but Rin waved it off and invited them in for lunch. He lied that he was just sick while they all conversed at a table, and the domesticity of it all almost made Rin vomit but he successfully kept his facade. Shiemi offered some medicinal herbs while Bon was spitting in his face about how he was going to get kicked out of cram school at this rate. Shima and Koneko looked relieved, while Izumo ate her portion in silence.  
  
When they left, Rin finally dropped the smile he forced to keep on for the entire afternoon as he collapsed onto the ground and cried. He didn't know why; was he crying for his victims? Or himself? 

He couldn't deny it anymore; he was losing his mind.

The half-demon didn't move for another good hour as he sniffled quietly, and he didn't notice when Kuro walked up to him and stared at him with a sad gaze, almost as if he knew.

 

* * *

 

Such an aroma. And the noise—the noise was like music to his ears.

Rin shook wildly with atrocious laughter as two boys in front of him wailed and cried in the fire until they were nothing more than heaps of ashes. Yes, who knew young children were the most entertaining to watch?  
  
“You two were adorable,” Rin prodded of what was once the cheek of the older boy. “Such a shame you and your friend couldn’t see yourselves. It was really lovely to watch!” He stood up and brushed the ashes off his pants, casually turning around to walk away. “Now I got to get home before Yukio gets angry.”  
  
Once Rin could reach the corner of the dark alley, he heard a slip behind him. In an instant he spun around, letting a faint blue fire form around his arms.  
  
Right in front of him was another kid, significantly younger than the two boys he just killed. His light brown eyes watered with tears as he quaked in front of the older teen. His lips trembled and his eyebrows were knitted into tight anger, and the image reminded Rin of Yukio when he was young. Angry and crying all the damn time.  
  
“Y-You killed Nii-san!”  
  
_Oh. So brothers...?_  
  
“The older one?” Rin recalled the older boy with the same brown eyes as the kid. A pang of guilt settled in his gut, but Rin quickly shook the thought away. Nothing matters anymore; the child had seen what he’d done. If Rin let him go it won’t be long before everyone knows of his bad habit. He must get rid of him.  
  
“Aww, I’m sorry you had to see that.” Rin forced a sweet smile as he stepped closer to the child, “But you know? You weren’t supposed to see that.” He leaned even closer.  
  
As expected, the brown-eyed boy stumbled back and pulled himself into a defensive stance. “STAY AWAY! I-I’ll call the exorcists!”  
  
Rin was taken back. So this kid could see demons? That must mean he could see Rin in his demonic form. All the more he should burn him. “Come, come. I won’t hurt you.”  
  
A voice was screaming at him to stop, that he'll regret it all one day, but Rin felt his sanity slipping away...  
  
“NO!” The boy indignantly shook his head wildly. “You killed Nii-san! Give my Nii-san back, you demon!!”  
  
Now he’d done it. “Just stop it and come here already!” Rin made a grab for the kid but the child threw a rock that was hidden in his fist this whole time. The pebble hit Rin right in the eye and the teen cried out in pain. When the kid began running, fear seized in Rin and he unconsciously jumped on top of the poor kid. The kid began screaming in his arms but the blue fire in him quickly flared into life, burning the kid into smoke instantly.  
  
“Ouch,” Rin rubbed his eye, irritated. “Stupid kid...!"

Once his eyes focused on the ashes on his arms and shirt, he rubbed his eyes again to see that everything around him was burnt. The smell was strong in the air, but Rin didn't gag this time. In fact, he heaved a huge sigh as he stretched his back. “Alright...time to clean up, I guess."

 

* * *

 

_“Rin, why do you smell funny?”_

  
The teen halted his steps, cursing himself for not taking a shower sooner. Couldn’t Kuro wait until Rin got the lingering scent of smoke washed off? Slowly Rin bent down to pet his familiar Kuro and slipped on his cheerful mask. “I went to the local dump site, and offered to do some voluntary recycling there.”  
  
Kuro tilted his head in confusion, _“I honestly don’t think you’d be one to do voluntary work at this time.”_  
  
“Oh—heh, well I am an enigma.”  
  
_“Is that where you’ve been going for the past week?”_ The cat looked almost suspicious, Rin thought it might be the end of him. _“You haven’t been playing with me and I’m bored here! Next time you go, take me with you, please?”_  
  
Rin gave a sharp laugh and a smile that was so fake, it reeked of it. He pondered as he browsed through his closet, trying hard not to glance back at Kuro behind him. Should he tell his cat? Kuro would never tell a secret, now would he?  
  
“Maybe.”  
  
The half-demon stood up then continued to the dormitory bathrooms with a fresh change of clothes in hand. Kuro trailed after him, asking persistently why. “I think it’s about time I do something else productive. It’s quite fun.”  
  
He proceeded to close the door on Kuro promptly and slumped against the door in relief.  
  
The cat shouldn’t know, lest he be burned...

 

* * *

 

It’s been nearly a month, and Rin had recently resorted to burning just innocent bystanders and people. He grew attached to this bad habit, and always craved for it when he’s not doing it. Of course, he’d have to hide all the bodies and keep it a secret. There were already talks about the disappearances and paranoia grew in cram school and the academy. Shops raised security, and nobody dared to walk home late at night. The police were already looking into it. At this rate, the Vatican will have to step in.

Rin and Yukio were eating lunch together at the cram school, and Rin tried so hard not to catch any stares from other students. He must try to act inconspicuous and keep his habit a secret, or that would mean getting his ass kicked by the Vatican.

A group of girls came by and gave Yukio some nicely made bentos. Yukio made up with some small talk and politely declined because he already had a bento specifically made by Rin. It apparently didn't matter anyway, since the girls especially kept their googly eyes on Yukio, and Rin scowled darkly. How the hell is his baby brother still  _this_ popular near the end of their school year!? Rin hadn't made any progress with any girls at all! Especially Shiemi!

Yukio tapped his shoulder when Rin was busy seething with jealousy and showed several posters. "Hey, look at this Rin."

When Rin took one glance at the posters, he inwardly grinned. He copied the worry laced into Yukio's voice and sighed in frustration. “So there's another disappearance?"

His brother nodded and gritted his teeth. "Yeah. These children did nothing wrong, and whoever's kidnapping them should rot in hell. I mean, eight years old, five years old," he grimaced. "Wonder if the demons have something to do with this?"  
  
A pang of guilt stung at the back of his neck, and Rin stared at Yukio silently, debating whether he should disagree on that. Perhaps not, since Yukio might catch onto something. Sometimes Rin hated that his brother was more perceptive and smart than Rin might think.

"Damn." Yukio stared on ahead and adjusted his glasses, something he tended to do when he was stressed. Rin was uncertain what to say, so he glanced back at the poster, where the three children were smiling with their bright eyes and rosy cheeks. Those three children, whose shrills of pain and agony kept playing over and over in Rin's head. He silently recalled their last moments while offering a sympathetic look to Yukio. “It'll be over soon."

In his mind, he knew that he was bullshitting. This addiction suddenly became too hard to stop...

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FFS what is wrong with me? Causing unnecessary angst??? Wasn't there enough of that in the show already...


	4. He couldn't take it

Over the course of the month, the number of victims grew at a slow but steady pace (not like he was counting) and they included everyone of all sizes, genders, and ages. The elderly were the funniest and the children were the most entertaining, but Rin had a close call when he had accidentally murdered a policeman. With someone who's an authority figure, the half-demon panicked to no end and burnt him until there was nothing left. He hastily scooted the remaining ashes with his foot underneath a large flower pot nearby and fled the scene in a hurry.

Of course, there was a price to pay, but it was larger than Rin had expected as he succumbed into a fever the following morning. Shura was suspicious, but she decided to give Rin a break from training since Rin was making a lot more progress than usual. That was because Rin had been playing with fire without her knowing, plus he's improved an awful without his sword. Since Shura had temporary possession of his sword until Rin could master his control, the half-demon couldn't pressure his powers more than he had to while his sword is not unsheathed. He had almost died the last time he had gone out of control.

It was difficult controlling fire without his sword, let alone even  _manifesting_ it. But somehow, the first time Rin had burned down someone, the flames came to him easily, as if Rin was meant to do it. He had lasted this long without collapsing from overexertion, but he knew that the heat was finally getting to him, and a part of him wanted to just die from it.

And yeah his baby brother was instantly worried and forced Rin to skip classes for today, but Rin took it without argument. Yukio was probably relieved only because Rin was gonna be too sick to do anything stupid.

The next day after was the weekend. The news had begun talking about the frequent disappearances more than lately and it was enough for Rin to stop this stupid habit for a while. It was basically the only thing keeping him paranoid enough not to go out. He kept the radio on to keep the news going and read manga in an effort to pass the time. Kuro was out chasing birds or some shit so Rin was left alone with his thoughts. He only bothered to cook if Kuro wanted something tasty but otherwise, Rin chose to skip mealtimes. The screams were constantly haunting him now, and he lost his appetite just thinking about their horrified faces. He even considered skipping his meds if it meant he'll stay sick for Monday. For the time being, he isolated himself in the dormitory.

As he lied on his bed with a dazed look on his eyes, he wondered why he was still doing this. Just—what was the point anymore?

_Everyone hates you. This is the only thing you're good at._

He was a weapon. The Vatican's most deadly weapon and Rin had no choice but to accept it.

 _Is that it? Are you going to be a pushover for them?_ _All those people you killed..._

He raised a hand to cover his eyes. Memories flooded up in his mind and guilt clawed at him, but he had to face the truth. Like, was he guilty? Yes...but they didn't know the hard life he'd been living. He was a literal walking target and people despised his existence. They didn't have any idea.

All the pent-up anger that's been building up inside him was being expelled onto all those people who burned, and Rin relished the euphoria that lasted in those mere seconds. The screams were constantly haunting him now, but Rin knew the better reason than to have silence throughout. He was getting the hang of his fire lately, even Shura and Yukio looked impressed. Rin definitely had the power, so shouldn't he use it?

He'd also been building up confidence, enough confidence that he'd be able to make them pay.

He really should stop targeting innocent civilians, but he honestly couldn't help it. Rin typically ended up killing more than he wanted because people just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Maybe from now on he'll only do it on bad people, like that one thief he had burnt.  _Yeah_.

The half-demon giggled to himself as he stared at the blank ceiling above him. Maybe this wasn't a bad idea after all. What even was guilt anymore?  _Yeah!_

He'll try it out. He'll just release more of that spark, that flame. People do things to get off stress, so this was plausible enough. To anyone who's ever really known Rin's heritage, they either treated him as invisible or as shit, so Rin was itching to get to them the most, but they were off limits unless he was asking for trouble. Plus, this could only be mere practice. He could always imagine the idea as the same as lighting a candle. The guilt was crushing to bear, but at this point, Rin was willing to lose it. Everyone else ordered him to  _behave, behave, behave_ but Rin knew this was for their sakes, not his. He wasn't some lapdog for them.

He hadn't lit someone on fire for the longest time now, and there was someone he had in store.

 

* * *

 

There he was.

Not far away from where Rin sat at his desk, three of his classmates hung out in the front of the classroom, messing around like the typical rowdy delinquents. It kind of made sense anyway, that there were children who were ridiculously snobby just because they have rich parents.

The face of his old man and his stupid shit-eating grin resurfaced in Rin's mind, and he gripped his pencil as he tried not to think of his tragic demise. He missed his old man.

Once the bell rang, everyone quickly shuffled to their seats before the teacher came back from the bathroom. Rin gritted his teeth when the boy he was eyeing earlier harshly bumped into Rin's elbow, knocking the pencil out of his hand. It offended Rin, but he forced his feelings of hurt as he bent over to grab his pencil when the boy took the gall and stepped on his hand.

The pain didn't register at all because Rin was too busy being angry at the boy towering over him, who only gave a nasty smirk. His buddies snickered somewhere behind him, and Rin gave a dark glare as he pulled his hand out from underneath the shoe and snatched his pencil.

The boy resumed his way to his seat, which was placed diagonally behind Rin, without any apologies. The half-demon just tried to ignore it, but he couldn't help overhearing the insults that were being thrown at him.

"...Hmph, what a dumbass..."

"...How the hell did he get into this school anyway?..."

Hell, it's been like this ever since someone discovered that Rin came from a poor monastery so this should be nothing but background noise to him, but it still hurt. They weren't as bad as Reiji back then but they were still just as annoying. All these rich kids were really getting on his nerves, but honestly, Rin should've moved on past that stage in his life. The familiar feeling of wanting to beat up those bullies sparked inside him but Rin knew better and kept his eyes trained on the teacher at the front, while the boys in the back continued to snicker to themselves. He was done with just punching the lights out of bullies; he had a better idea in mind.

When class ended, Rin decided to give them a piece of his mind. Before they could walk out the door, Rin roughly shoved the boy on the shoulder while muttering his ear to meet up at the entrance of the local forest near the school. Alone.

The boy had simply looked at him like he was some garbage and pushed him to the doorway as he and his friends walked out laughing, but Rin knew his message got across.

Later that day, the boy did come as told, and he stood across him with a bored look on his face. Rin was shocked that he actually did come alone, but he took no chances as he sharply turned his head to the forest and began walking in. The boy hesitated but trailed after; he was only there for curiosity, and the annoyance on his face grew as they ventured deeper.

When they stopped at a small clearing, Rin turned back around to see the boy clenching his fists at him. "The fuck you called me for..."

Rin didn't waste any time. Royal blue fire instantly formed around them in a small circle, and the boy jumped in shock as Rin lunged forward to throw a punch at him. A sickening crack echoed and pure satisfaction spread across Rin's face. This was already a risky move because they stood very close to the school where witnesses would be all around, but Rin had been meaning to punch this bastard for a long time.

Before his classmate could retaliate, flames suddenly snaked up his arms and the boy began swatting his shoulders wildly as he tried to put the flames out. His eyes screamed desperation as he locked eyes with Rin, who took a step back to watch the show. He only grinned back at him in silent glee, and the boy began sputtering out in a frantic.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

The bodies always took a while to burn, but Rin didn't speed it up or anything. It was more fascinating than tedious to watch his flames dance across their skins anyway, especially if it was from people he disliked. A thrum of pleasure blossomed in his chest, and Rin gave the middle finger all too cheerfully as his classmate stumbled down to the ground, wailing while the fire slowly ate him.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of an ehh chapter, but it gets better (I think).
> 
> A great big thank you to those who read and reviewed. I'm a little surprised this lil' shit even got views so thank you really!


	5. Suspicion.

At first, everything was like a game.

He would kill the target, then hide the evidence and leave. Typically he'd lose since there was always a witness hiding around somewhere, but Rin always got to them before they could spill anything. If he was feeling up for it, he'd try to reduce the body into ashes but that either left him catching dizzy spells and constant nausea for the next couple of days. Irritably he still couldn't unlock his full power, not while Shura had a hold on his sword.

Rin burned more than he could count, and he intended to keep going. He continued to the point where the smell didn't bother him, the soot on his hands didn't faze him, the shrill screams didn't haunt him. In just over a span of several months, he perfected the art of burning flesh and burnt more bodies than an average coroner could ever do.

Unfortunately, his secret didn’t stay a secret for so long.

After the mysterious disappearance of the bully, it went quickly noticed and the case brought light to his school. Now there are rumors and hushed whispers in the hallways about the serial killer being one of the students. 

Once he heard about the rumors, Rin had bashed all the bathroom mirrors back in the boy’s dorm. Nobody heard his anguished screams.

What if he accidentally left traces? It was hard not to go overboard in a forest so Rin had to borrow a shovel from Shiemi, much to her confusion. He’d gotten careless, gotten too fucking carried away, and now the police might possibly have a lead. But perhaps Rin was overthinking this...if he'd only stay low...

He collapsed onto the ground, felt the shards pierce through his skin, but Rin couldn’t care. He was too conflicted, too torn to even realize he was bleeding on the tile floors. Questions and accusations and grim reminders ran through his restless mind without any stop; he was a half-demon despised and under watch by many authorities and exorcists, so continuing this will mandate his death sentence.

Why didn’t he stop? Why did he kill so many? So many questions and he didn’t know what to think, or how to answer. What was worse was that a part of him actually craved for more. He needed more but now was clearly not the time.

He tried to get through the week after, but his patience was running thin and the fire within him was fluctuating madly. Not for one second, he got any peace from it. His classmates couldn’t stop talking about it; it was like all they’ve ever talked about. Word got around too quick, and the half-demon had never felt so small in his entire life as people sought to find out the killer.

As the school’s paranoia grew, so did his. He avoided eye contact at all times, flinched when someone did as much as breathing and panicked when the teacher called on him to answer. Back then when he used to wait for the weekend to read manga or bother his friends, now he itched to run out and let loose a few flames in private. He couldn’t even hold a proper conversation with anyone he didn’t know, even more so to Yukio, Shura, or his classmates in his brother’s class. To them Rin must’ve looked off-putting to them, but he couldn’t help it. The guilt that should be gnawing away at him was overcome by his desire to burn.

He’d experienced so much negativity in his life and Rin hated it. He was just desperate for an output to vent them out, but in a world like this, nobody would understand. Rin always imagined constantly, all those innocents he killed, what would happen if they knew who he truly was. Would they spit at his face? Or recoil in disgust? Throw holy water at him? The Vatican might just lock him up for execution any day now. Rin would be done for. He was just defending himself.

_It wasn’t his fault._

He always told himself that. Sometimes he’d take deep breaths after a kill, inhale the smoke and the stench of burnt flesh, and he’d choke down on his words with either a guilt-ridden sob or a maniacal giggle,

“It’s all their fault…”

 

* * *

  

_It’s all their fault..._

“It’s whose fault now, idiot?”

Sharp brown eyes glared at Rin intensely and the half-demon reeled back in shock as Bon stood across his desk, looking wholly unimpressed. Behind him, Shima and Konekomaru watched the two of them with a curious gaze.

Oh. They were in their classroom. Yukio left early to do a mission and the girls were nowhere in sight. Rin noticed the bags slung over their shoulders as they stared at him expectantly. Their relationship was shaky after they discovered he was the literal son of the Devil, but things were slowly improving (or so he’d liked to believe).

“What...What do you want?” Just what the hell was this chickenhead doing? Rin caught himself in time before he could accidentally incinerate the desk they were on.

“Nothing, really.” Shima grinned lightly. “Class just ended but you didn’t move, so.”

“Yeah,” Bon leaned closer and Rin instinctively shrank back. “You were muttering something just now. Whose fault were you talking about?”

_Oh god_ , Rin tried not to tremble. _Did I say that out loud?_

“Nothing! It’s, uh, it’s nothing,” Rin laughed cheekily. “Talking about...Yukio, yeah! The test we took recently took a big hit on my grade. I’m not sure if I can actually recover from that.”

He wasn’t exactly lying; Rin had always been dogshit at most of his classes. Still, the others didn’t look entirely convinced and Bon looked pretty annoyed, “Why am I not surprised? How are you still in this school?!”

If Rin didn’t know Bon any better, he could pinpoint the moment when his expression momentarily shifted into what looked like _concern? Oh no, do they finally know—_

“I know, I know! I just haven’t been studying, that’s all.” He didn’t even know where his textbooks went, to be honest. “Actually, I think I’m gonna go head out now. I got some training to do with Shura, so see you guys later!”

That was a pretty terrible lie, but Rin was more focused on getting out of there at the moment. He grabbed his bag and hastily shoved whatever notebooks and papers he had on the desk inside. He walked by the other three but Bon called out to Rin before he could pass the doorway. “Hey! Wait.”

_This is it. They know about my secret, they actually know and they’ll lock me up and kill me._

“Y-Yeah?”

Bon had a thoughtful expression on his face, the same kind as to whenever he’d take a written test or quiz, but Rin didn’t like the way his eyes were grilling on to him. In fact, Bon only gave a steely glare long enough for Rin to just wither inside. What the fuck, why wasn’t he saying anything??

“Bon—“

“Nevermind,” Bon paused, then turned his away sharply. He looked like he just tasted something bitter. “Yeah, just nevermind. Get outta my face.”

The blood in his body began to rush after being frozen in fear for so long, and Rin nodded a quick and nervous goodbye. His friends only stared at him, Bon looking lost in thought while Konekomaru and Shima were sheepishly waving in return. Rin was too conflicted to wave back; he kept glancing at Bon.

If Bon, one of his few friends who showed even the tiniest bit of worry about him, discovered even the slightest bit about his secret, Rin wouldn't know how to handle it.

In the back of his mind, Rin vaguely wondered what Bon wanted to say, but didn’t think any more of it as he scampered out the door.

 

* * *

 

“Mmm, I’m not sure Rin.” Shura placed her hands on her hips, head tilting to the side in uncertainty. “Your control over your fire is getting better these days, but you know how the rules are, kid.”

“Please?” He needed a taste of his full power and it’s been so long since they’d unsheath it. Rin genuinely yearned for his sword, and if Shura wasn’t gonna give in anytime soon… “What happened to taking things to the next step the other day? Haven’t I proved myself enough already?”

“No.” Her voice was blunt. “Not really.”

“EHHH?!”

“Your aim sucks ass,” she snorted. “But you got better adjusting the hotness and size of your fire, I’ll give you that.”

Why wasn't that enough for her?!? Rin groaned loudly as he paced around in distress. “ _Okay_ , so when can I have it then?!”

“Not anytime soon, alright?” Shura seemed to catch on Rin's anxiousness, as amusement wore off her face and she rubbed her forehead in exasperation. “Why are you so intent on getting it anyway? Even if you have it, you’re not supposed to use it.”

Fuck her, but she had a point. Rin was supposed to keep himself under wraps, however, the voice in his head was telling him otherwise. "Well, I thought it'd be refreshing to let out a little more, you know!?"

"Let out a little bit more?" Shura repeated, her expression looking scandalized. "Honestly, didn't any threats of execution or imprisonment ever got in your head or what? For the last time, this is for your own good, Rin, unless you're really asking for it. Now stop bothering me! We'll do training tomorrow."

The woman turned her back to him and walked away, her brightly-colored hair swaying side to side as if mocking him. 

A sudden flare of anger welled up inside him but Rin restrained himself, deciding to sharply turn the opposite direction. His hands twitched lightly but he clenched it until Shura left the training, then he threw a ball of blue fire at an unsuspecting bean bag nearby. He needed to skewer someone alive.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for being a lil' late, my computer was being a jerk to me. Again, thanks for reading and reviewing!


	6. Eating him alive.

“Hello!!”

When Rin opened the door, Shiemi was clad in casual clothes as she offered a wave and a greeting. It seemed she was just tending to her garden since there was dirt caked on her knees and legs.

“...Shiemi.” As much as Rin enjoyed her company, he was about to head out to the city again. “What are you doing here?”

“Oh, Rin?” Shiemi blinked in surprise at his harsh tone, and the half-demon mentally kicked himself. “Sorry for the late notice, I just harvested some herbs from my garden and I thought I could give you some so if you’d like to make tea sometime.” She raised a small paper bag slightly and tilted her head slightly. “Can I come in?”

_No—_

“Sure…” Rin opened the door wider and stepped aside.

The fire was unstable today. He almost felt his eye twitch; he’d been meaning to get out to let off some smoke so why did Shiemi had to come in at the wrong time?

Once she stepped in, she gave a polite greeting to Kuro, who was meowing curiously at her as Rin led her to the kitchen. Behind him, Rin could hear Kuro whispering lowly to tell Shiemi about him.

“ _Little girl help Rin, I don’t think he’s…”_

Rin shot a nasty glare to Kuro, who quickly shut up. Damn cat, he’d been doing the same thing to Yukio recently. Although both of them couldn’t understand Kuro, the half-demon was getting a little on edge about letting the cat outside so frequently.

“What have you been doing lately?” Shiemi eyed the kitchen, which was clean as usual. “I haven’t tried your cooking in a while, we should plan a get together sometime!”

"Yeah..."

"Oh, so Izumo warmed up lightly to me the other day before class! She actually listened to what I wanted to tell her, and I offered her my pencil since she needed one!"

"..."

Shiemi noticed the awkward silence as she peered over at Rin over her shoulder, but she continued talking, "These herbs should be enough for you and Yukio-sensei; it relieves stress and triggers drowsiness so this would be best to take before bed. Especially Yukio, he looks so tired." She placed a hand on her cheek in worry. "I heard he's been on a lot of missions lately. I never get to see him outside of class anymore, you two should come over sometime..."

Rin stayed silent, only nodding imperceptibly. He wasn’t really listening; he was wondering when she’d leave actually. He didn’t like the way Kuro was rubbing his cheek on her ankles, as if demanding attention.

As Shiemi dropped off the herbs on a nearby table, she gave a curious glance at Rin. “Hey, so I also came by for my shovel?”

Ah, _shit_.

“Oh, um, oh, the thing is,” Rin scratched his head embarrassedly. Now that she had pointed out, he had forgotten about it back in the forest! “I kinda forgot about it. I don’t remember where I placed it.”

Shiemi stared at him in confusion. “Oh...well, I guess that’s like you, Rin.” She huffed out a light giggle, though it sounded flustered. “Why don’t we find it together?”

“No, no!” He frantically waved his arms at her. “I’ll find it and return it as soon as possible, okay?! No worries!”

He didn’t want to bring Shiemi into the forest with him; imagine what kind of questions it’ll bring up. To be frank, he didn’t feel particularly bad about the shovel, he was more concerned as to how he’d answer if Shiemi asks. And as he just predicted, Shiemi narrowed her eyes slightly in thought, though her cheery smile held in place.

“It’s fine, though I’m curious, what did you use it for?”

Shiemi was giving him the same look as Bon had given him a few days earlier, and it slightly prickled Rin’s nerves. What was this, now his friends were suspicious of him? Was Rin getting too obvious?!

“I did a...uh, some landscaping.” What the hell was _that_  excuse—“Y’know. Outside the dorm. And all that.”

Shiemi looked terribly unconvinced, and Rin sweat dropped bullets as she leaned closer to inspect his face, her beautiful emerald eyes glistening. “Rin, are you okay? You don’t look exactly well.”

_No...please help me, I’m losing my mind…_

“I’m doing just real dandy.” Rin tried for a small smile, but it must’ve come out as something different since Shiemi bit her lip anxiously and stepped back.

“Don’t lie to me,” she spoke softly. “You don’t look the same Rin. Even during class, you seemed out of it.”

“...Sorry.” Rin didn’t know what to say to that.

With that said, Shiemi walked past Rin and towards the front door, only pausing by the doorway as she glanced back with a worried expression. “Sorry for bothering you. You should take some rest, no need to worry about the shovel. So take it easy, okay?”

Rin gulped, trying not to look relieved as she patted Kuro a quick goodbye. "Make sure you use the herbs I gave you! I swear, you two brothers seriously need to look after yourselves."

Before Rin could form some sort of response, Shiemi quietly slipped out and closed the door behind her, leaving him and Kuro staring at the door in silence. Rin heaved a weary sigh before turning to head upstairs. Suddenly the demon cat jumped in the way to face Rin, his yellow eyes glinting in frustration.

_“Rin!”_ Kuro meowed angrily. “ _What is wrong with you? I could tell you desperately wanted Shiemi to get out!”_

“What the hell, Kuro?! I-I did not!” Okay, that was a lie, but Rin gritted his teeth as he glared down at the cat in return. “And shut up! There’s nothing wrong with me!”

_“Then why do you keep going out at the middle of the night!? Yukio doesn’t look like he knows and you haven’t bothered going with him to missions lately! I’m worried, Shiemi’s worried, and I bet your friends are too!”_ Kuro bared his sharp teeth, looking lost and scared as he looked up at his master. _“Rin, where have you been? What are you doing—”_

“Shut up, shut up!” He shoved the cat away with his feet and stomped upstairs. He needed to get out. The fire within him had been raging the entire time Shiemi was here, and Rin didn’t need Kuro’s snooping nose in this. “I’m just tired, okay? Now leave me alone.”

_“Let me help! Don’t even think about going out!”_ The cat suddenly bit down on Rin’s pants, which stung and Rin shook his leg wildly to push Kuro away. “Hey, Kuro! No! Bad cat, no biting!”

_“Rin…!”_

Before the half demon could register what he was doing, he sprouted bright flames down his leg towards the cat. Kuro let out a shriek and let go, and Rin watched in muted horror as he stumbled down the stairs in blue flames before hitting the wall behind him.

“O-Oh my god, Kuro!” Rin frantically bounded down the stairs to where the cat was lying and carefully rested him on his lap. “Shit, Kuro, I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry...”

The cat didn’t look too badly injured, just unconscious. As soon as Rin realized it, he had stopped the fire on the poor cat.

_What the hell, Rin?_

He choked back a sob as he quickly carried Kuro upstairs and delicately placed him on his bed, uncaring if Kuro will shed or not. He hastily grabbed some ice packs and rested it on Kuro’s torso, and Rin made sure that Kuro didn’t have any scorch marks or anything like that. Thankfully, the cat didn’t look like he wasn’t accidentally burnt, just sleeping...

_But was it really an accident?_

The little voice in his head picked at his scabs, at his wounds, and Rin let out several tears as he rubbed Kuro soothingly. “I’m so sorry, I’m sorry, please be okay…”

_He won’t bother you for a while._ _Kill him. Finish him while you’re at it._

“No, no…” Rin rubbed his eyes angrily and pulled away from Kuro. Tentatively, he placed a blanket over Kuro then left to grab his jacket by his chair. He jogged down the stairs and put on his shoes before quickly exiting out the door.

He couldn’t wait. He couldn’t wait anymore. He needed to put out the fire; it was _eating him alive_.

 

* * *

 

_The fire coursed through him constantly. It felt like a speeding race car, and it was accelerating faster and faster. Everything was getting too hot._

_The brakes went down, then the emergency brake, then the steering wheel. Traces of fire and corpses left in his wake. He lost control._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *distant screaming*
> 
> Sorry, it's kinda short, but next chapter is gonna be longer so buckle yourselves up.
> 
> *resumes screaming*


	7. Red in Endless Blue

He reached the city and tried to calm his nerves down. He tried not to think about Kuro, who Rin might’ve betrayed the trust between them, but the cat will surely understand. This was really important, important for Rin and for the safety of his friends.

The half-demon must’ve been acting strangely because he attracted the attention of one woman and now she was discreetly stalking him. As he turned down the corner and passed through the crosswalk, the woman trailed behind him at a safe distance, her dark eyes trained on the back of Rin’s head.

The woman looked like an unsuspecting passerby, so Rin decided to tease her down his favorite obscure parts of the city for fun. Who knew being chased was actually fun? It was not as fun as during his missions with Yukio, since the target they were chasing always ended up getting away (due to Rin’s recklessness, as Yukio liked to call it).

When he felt their little game of tag was enough, he disappeared at the right moment for the woman to look around in confusion. He gave a dark chuckle as he jumped across buildings, and she followed the sound down the quiet street until it brought her to the back of an abandoned warehouse. The woman was surveying the area and froze once she heard Rin coming up from behind her.

“You must be the one. Responsible for all those disappearances.” The woman raised an eyebrow at him, relaxing her posture slightly. Her calmness was a bit jarring to Rin, and he narrowed his eyes at her, but still gave a polite smile.

“That’s a really bold statement you said, but I think you got the wrong person.”

The woman probably saw through his dumb facade as she gave a nasty scowl at Rin. “You’re a demon.”

Okay, fine, this woman wasn’t just some unsuspecting passerby.

“They’re not really disappearances,” Rin smirked devilishly. “They’re dead now, but go off, I guess.”

Before he could say anything else, a sharp sudden pain bloomed across his shoulder, and Rin glanced down to see blood seeping through his dark clothes. “What…”

“It seems that demons really are involved, after all.”  As she pulled out a gun out of seemingly nowhere, she raised a badge for him to see, much to Rin’s horror. _Shit_ , she was a _fucking detective_. Was that game of chase all a joke then?

“Surrender now, and the penalties might be less severe.” The woman shifted her foot, ready to catch and detain him but Rin said nothing and waited. He only gave a sharp laugh, which was quickly stopped as he winced at the pain on his shoulder.

“Fuck you, fuck the police. Fuck this.”

The woman held her gun ready as Rin swore out to the sky, but he didn’t dare make a move. However, once she took a step closer—

_The fire exploded. It was like firecrackers, bright and spontaneous._

Nobody would suspect him, as long as he got rid of the evidence.

It felt ecstatic, wonderful, amazing.

The colors of the sky was a vivid blue as flames danced across the floor and flickered up in high columns, illuminating the area in an eerie light. The person in the middle, his daily victim for today, was swearing and moving frantically as they were quickly surrounded by a ring of blue fire. His lovely flames grew closer and closer towards her, wanting to pull her into a tender embrace. Rin stood in the center of the fire, laughing maniacally as the woman tried to swat away the fire from her clothes, but she seemed more distracted by his flames than her safety.

“I can’t believe it.” She gave a horrified glance at Rin. “You’re the rumored beast…The one who breathes blue fire…”

Rin was about to thank her for such an odd compliment until she pulled out her phone to call for an emergency. She was about to raise it to her lips when Rin threw a ball of fire at her in a split second, screaming in a panicked frenzy.

The phone was pushed out of her hand, but the woman didn’t deign to let it go as she jumped forward for it, and Rin followed after her, trying to rip the phone out of her hand or rip the woman to shreds or _anything_ but several gunshots rang in the air.

Red. Red everywhere, it blended with the bright blue to make a nice purple, but Rin was screaming in pain nonetheless. The fire around them responded to his pain and grew brighter, hotter, and the woman was engulfed in it trying to find her phone. The gun was lost in the haze, and Rin let the warm heat wash over him as he fluttered his eyes closed.

(Stupid woman, trying to make a call right in front of an enemy?)

 

* * *

 

Droplets of blood stained the concrete below him as the half-demon sagged to one side. He forced himself not to limp, though it was a little painful not to.

This entire day was getting worse and worse, but Rin was still stupid enough to go hunt for another body, only for it to be a detective. That was a really risky move, but at least Rin got rid of her. It was unbelievably hard; having to push his limits until she was literal ashes. He was too tired to clean it up but this was an abandoned warehouse, nobody would care, right?

He had tried to leave, but he collapsed several times onto the pile of soot and dirt and laid there while his shoulder was bleeding. For the entire time, he kept asking himself, what the singular _fuck_ was wrong with him!?

Now here he was, clutching his left shoulder with one hand and gripping a shovel with the other. He decided to drop into the forest and find it since it was reaching dusk and he was filthy at the moment. Once Rin reached the dorm, he spotted a familiar figure on the front steps. Was that Shiemi at the entrance?

When Rin made a move to hurry closer, Shiemi stood up from the steps and stepped forward, her beautiful green eyes without its usual luster.

She looked afraid.

Alarm bells were ringing in his mind, but he elected to ignore it as he gripped the shovel that rested in his hand. No doubt that she'll have questions to ask, but he couldn't run away now. The half-demon gave a shaky laugh and held up the shovel he had borrowed from her about a week ago. "Hi, Shiemi! Didn't think you'd be here!"

He watched her emerald eyes focused on the object in hand, but she looked distracted. “Rin...you’re bleeding…”

“Ahh, sorry,” He gave a meek shrug as he held it out for her. “I’ll get that fixed up, don’t worry! We can try out the herbs you brought! I’m pretty tired, today was a long day, so your herbs should do its little nature magic.”

“Where have you been?” It was like she didn’t hear him; her face didn’t light up at the very least. “Training? I know Shura would never hurt you like this.”

Rin felt his heart drop.

_Fuck, I had training today._

“Um, ah, it was a little scratch, she apologized right after.” His words were shaky, rambling and nervous, just like the fire that itched to get out of his skin. Rin scratched the back of his head, trying to convince Shiemi by the slightest. “She even let me off early, so that brings me here...”

“Stop lying, Rin, you’re not okay at all!”

The half-demon stared at the blonde in shock, who trembled in what? Fear? Anger? 

When she looked up, Rin saw the tears in her eyes, and she looked absolutely furious. “I saw Kuro on your bed today! I came by because I was worried about you, but I didn’t think that you’d leave Kuro in such a state—” Tears leaked out of her eyes and down her cheeks, and she moved around desperately, clenching her fists in exasperation. “Rin, answer me! Who hurt you!?"

Rin was rendered speechless. He was blinded by the fact that she might just discover.

When he didn't answer, Shiemi threw her hands up. "Fine! Let's go inside first! Let's get your wound fixed." Rin didn't budge even as Shiemi tried to grab his hand and lead him. She only stared at him cluelessly as Rin's lip trembled. "...leave me alone..."

Rin pushed away Shiemi. He didn't want to hurt her.

_Or did he not want to be caught?_

"No, not when you're hurt!" She shook her head wildly, her short blonde bob flying everywhere as she glared at Rin. She looked frustrated that Rin was acting strange, but Rin was just as frustrated that Shiemi was being nosy. “Please let me heal you and you can tell me what happened."

“Nothing!” Rin shouted, but he didn’t know any shit on what to do. He got scared and anxious, but now he regretted raising his voice on his dear friend. “I-I did nothing! Kuro just tripped on hot water and I tripped on your shovel!"

“Rin, it's clear you're lying! You know what, I'll call Yukio, he'll know what to do.” Shiemi made one last effort to get Rin moving, but Rin felt the fire die out as his entire core went cold, freezing cold— “NO! Not Yukio! Not ever!"

Shiemi was taken aback at his outburst, as she took a step back and watched Rin heave in heavy breathes. "No, Rin. I have to and I will..."

_He burnt Kuro. He burnt Kuro. He hurt Kuro_ . _He hurt his family, his friend, his father’s friend._

_Yukio would be disappointed in me._

The fact that Shiemi was going to tell Yukio, did that mean she doesn’t trust Rin? Was she trying to turn him in? Did she tell the rest of their friends? What will happen now?

Questions sped through his mind like hot coal and Rin gripped his head, screaming hoarsely at the gravitating pressure. The heat was intense; but it wasn’t his heat, it was the heat generated from the anger of his friends, family, the Vatican. Everyone was looking down on him. Rin was to be treated like a dog. Rin was to be treated as a weapon. Rin was to be treated as a _tool_.

He didn’t remember when he had started screaming, or when his blue fire sprouted around him in a protective barrier. He vaguely heard Shiemi shouting for him in worry, but nothing else mattered now. Rin had lost it, he knew he was too far gone.

But...at the very least, the familiar warmth of blue always calmed him down. Rin used to despise the power and wanted to be normal like everyone else, but he now realized he had a power;  _the_ power to hurt everyone who hurt him.

He felt a hand on his.

Blue, blue, everything was blue, and Rin moved along with the heat of it. He made more blue, more and more blue, but a cry brought him back to his senses.

Through the endless blue haze, he saw a streak of red blood dripping down. A drop of red in the endless blue. Red, a sickly shade of red on Shiemi’s cheek. She was gasping, touching her cheek as she slowly turned to the half-demon in fear.

She was hurt. He hurt her.

 

* * *

 

Shura was training by herself in the training room. Once she kicked down the dummy before her, she impatiently groaned and looked up at the ceiling tiredly, wondering what was taking the brat long.

“He was eager to train yesterday,” she mused. “But where the hell is he now?”

She gave a quick call to Rin, only for it to reach voicemail. Curious, she decided to call Yukio, who thankfully answered. “Ah, Four-eyes, do you know—”

_“Shura, it’s Rin.”_ Yukio sounded strangely calm, and Shura was full on alert now. Yukio usually sounded exasperated, but this was something new. _“Meet me in the dorm, Shiemi just called me.”_

The woman gave the same sigh whenever Rin did stupid shit. As she began heading out the door, she gave a languid stretch while pressing the phone against her ear with her shoulder.

“Alright, alright, what the hell did the brat do now?”

 

* * *

 

_He was a boy who loved to play with fire and she was his perfect match._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The quote at the end...I like it.
> 
> Damnit, Rin.


End file.
